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Rabbit Seasoning
Rabbit Seasoning is a 1952 Merrie Melodies short directed by Chuck Jones. Plot Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck argue over which of them is "in season" (it is really Duck Season as Daffy says while hidden from Bugs in the beginning), while a befuddled Elmer Fudd tries to figure out which animal is telling the truth. Between using sneaky plays-on-words, and dressing himself in women's clothing (including a Lana Turner-style sweater), Bugs manages to escape unscathed, while Daffy repeatedly has his beak blown off, upside-down, or sideways, by Elmer Fudd. Availability * VHS - A Salute to Chuck Jones * VHS - Elmer Fudd's Comedy Capers * LaserDisc - Bugs Bunny: Winner by a Hare: 14 of Bugs Bunny's Best * VHS - Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition, Vol. 1: All-Stars * DVD - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc One (1998 dubbed print) * DVD - Looney Tunes Super Stars' Bugs Bunny: Wascally Wabbit (1998 dubbed print) * Blu-ray, DVD - Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc 2 (remastered) Censorship Like "Rabbit Fire" and "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!", all scenes of Daffy getting blasted by Elmer's shotgun were edited when aired on ABC, CBS, the syndicated and Fox network versions of The Merrie Melodies Show, and The WB. While ABC and WB replaced the actual shots of Elmer firing at Daffy's head with a still shot of Bugs Bunny looking off-screen (or, in the case of the end of "Rabbit Seasoning", freeze-framed on the shot of the cabin when Elmer and Daffy go inside) and had the audio play normally, CBS and WB spliced out any and all scenes (both visual and audio) of Daffy getting shot.The Censored Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Page: Q-R http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-q-r.aspx Notes * A small scene from this cartoon was used in The Bugs Bunny Road-Runner Movie. * Although there were a few cartoons released after this with the blue Color Rings red background from the 1951-52 season, this cartoon was the first to be in the 1952-53 season, evident from the rings. * This cartoon was released the day before Chuck Jones' (the director's) 40th birthday. * When shown on Cartoon Network and Boomerang, this short plays in PAL audio. * A comic story based on the "pronoun trouble" is seen in Issue 166. * Bugs' plays-on-words cause Daffy "pronoun trouble": Bugs: It's true, Doc; I'm a rabbit alright. Would you like to shoot me now or wait 'til you get home? Daffy: SHOOT HIM NOW! SHOOT HIM NOW! Bugs: You keep outta this! He doesn't have to shoot you now! Daffy: He does so have to shoot me now! Elmer I demand that you shoot me now! raises his gun. As Daffy sticks his tongue out at Bugs, he is shot. Daffy walks back over to Bugs, gunsmoke pouring out of his nostrils. He walks over to Bugs. Let's run through that again. Bugs: Okay. deadpan Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home. Daffy:similarly Shoot him now, shoot him now. Bugs: before You keep outta this, he doesn't have to shoot you now. Daffy Duck: re-animated HAH! That’s it! Hold it right there! audience Pronoun trouble. Bugs It's not "he doesn't have to shoot you now", it's "he doesn't have to shoot me now" Pause angrily Well, I say he does have to shoot me now!! Elmer So shoot me now! shoots Daffy again After another series of gags and tricks, the cartoon ends as Daffy exposes Bugs' attempt at distracting Elmer by cross-dressing, and Bugs asks Elmer if he would like to "shoot him here, or wait 'til you get home." Daffy, catching the argument before it starts (but missing the "him" referring to himself), tells Elmer to wait until he gets home, and the two peacefully walk through the forest to Elmer's lodge. One gunshot later, Daffy storms out the door back to Bugs, re-aligns his beak, and says his signature line: "You're dethpicable". * "Rabbit Seasoning" is the sequel to "Rabbit Fire", and the second entry in the "Hunter's trilogy" directed by Jones and written by Michael Maltese (the only major difference in format between "Rabbit Fire" and "Rabbit Seasoning" is that the former takes place during the springtime, while the latter takes place in autumn. The third cartoon in the set, "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!", takes place in the winter.) * "Rabbit Seasoning" is widely considered among Jones' best and most important films. In Jerry Beck's 1994 book'', The 50 Greatest Cartoons'', "Rabbit Seasoning" is listed at number thirty.https://mubi.com/lists/the-50-greatest-cartoons-as-selected-by-1000-animation-professionals Image Gallery RabbitSeasoningTitle.jpg|Unrestored Title Card References External Links * "Rabbit Seasoning" at SuperCartoons.net * "Rabbit Seasoning" at B99.TV * "Rabbit Seasoning" on the SFX Resource Wiki Category:Bugs Bunny Cartoons Category:Daffy Duck Cartoons Category:Elmer Fudd Cartoons Category:Shorts Category:1952 Category:Looney Tunes Shorts Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Philip DeGuard Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Arthur Q. Bryan Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer